Palo Alto looks to supercharge electric vehicle charger ordinance

A Palo Alto law that requires new single-family homes to come rigged for electric vehicle chargers could soon be extended to other developments.

On Tuesday, the City Council's Policy and Services Committee is slated to review a similar ordinance that would apply to new hotel, multifamily and commercial developments.

The existing and proposed laws are intended to make "Palo Alto a leader in promotion of electric vehicles," according to a new report by the city's Planning and Community Environment Department.

The report also notes that Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order in 2012 directing the state government to support and facilitate the rapid commercialization of zero-emission vehicles. The goal is to put 1.5 million such vehicles on state roadways by 2025.

"In order to meet this goal and in order for electric vehicles to proliferate, it is important that early consumers have a positive experience and that facilities be readily available to provide convenient charging stations for electric vehicles," the report states.

The proposed ordinance calls for different electric vehicle supply equipment, or EVSE, depending on the type of development.

Conduits for electrical wiring would be required for multifamily developments with "tuck-under garages" or other individual attached parking. Otherwise, one EVSE-ready outlet would be required for each housing unit; in addition, equipment capable of charging a vehicle at 30 amps or higher at 208 or 204 volts would be required for a number of resident parking spaces equal to 5 percent of the total housing units in the development.

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Five percent of guest parking spaces at multifamily developments must have charging equipment and 20 percent a conduit. The same standard would apply to commercial developments.

As for hotels, 10 percent of spaces must have charging equipment and 20 percent a conduit.

Installing charging equipment for five spaces and conduits for 20 spaces at a commercial development would cost slightly more than $53,200, according to one cost analysis scenario included in the report.

The proposed ordinance was requested by the council in December, when it approved a law that requires builders of new single-family homes to install conduits. Peter Pirnejad, the city's development services director, said at the time that he expected the law to add $500 to the cost of a new home.

According to the report, the proposed ordinance was drafted with input from a task force assembled by City Manager James Keene, as well as contractors and electric vehicle owners.

The drive to promote electric vehicles hasn't gone unnoticed. Palo Alto was named the 2014 Most Electric Vehicle Ready Community at the Charged & Connected Symposium on April 24 at SAP in Palo Alto.

Based on the latest California Clean Vehicle Rebate Program statistics, the city now has 9.4 plug-in vehicles per 1,000 residents and 7.3 zero-emission vehicles per 1,000 residents.

"Palo Alto has one of the highest per capita densities of EVs in the state, and therefore in the country," Keene said in a new release last week announcing the award. "But we're preparing for many more to come."

WHAT: The Palo Alto City Council’s Policy and Service Committee is scheduled to review a proposed ordinance that would require new hotel, multifamily and commercial developments to be outfitted with electric vehicle charging equipment.WHEN: Tuesday, 6 p.m.WHERE: Council Conference Room, City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave.